CSA Week Fifteen

News from the field:

The home stretch! This is week 15, which means we have 3 weeks to go after this one. This fall we are feeling the effects of 6-8 weeks of rain earlier in the season. We have a lot less onions, winter squash and carrots than we normally do heading into fall. But each year presents its new challenges and quirks. Even though some field crops did not do well, we have a banner year in the greenhouses. So it all evens out in the end, I suppose.

Now is the time that we are beginning our fall tasks -- plowing down crops killed by the frost, planting cover crops to hold the soil over the winter, cleaning the tomato plants out of the greenhouses, taking plans for next year. We still have our weekly harvests to do, but more and more the days are filled with winding-down-jobs and planning-for-next-year-jobs. And we have been blessed with wonderful weather while working on these tasks.

In the Basket:

Potatoes – A big five pound bag this week, to last you into the fall. Keep them in a cool, dry, dark place (so they don’t turn green)

Carrots – Try Carolynne’s soup recipe on the back. Thank you Carolynne!

Broccoli raab or bok choy – Broccoli raab is an Italian green that we love. The classic way to make it is to warm olive oil with garlic and pepper then add roughly chopped raab and cook gently. Drain and toss with more olive oil and capers then serve topped with grated cheese and with lemon on the side. If you go looking for other recipe ideas, know that this green is also called rapini and broccoli rabe. For the bok choy, check out the great recipe from Tracy Zschau back in week one – I’ll put a link on the blog.

Kale – There are a lot of greens this week!! If it’s too much for you to eat in one week, consider freezing the kale. This is how I do it: lop off the stems, put the leaves, whole, into boiling water for about 2 minutes. Remove, swish in cold water till cool, drain, then dry (in salad spinner). Roughly chop, put in a small Ziploc freezer bag, get all the air out, lay flat till frozen solid (easier to store). I like to add to spaghetti sauce in the winter! I’ll also link to recipes on the blog.

Spinach, beets with greens and tomatoes – Consider boiling the beets, then dicing them adding them to your spinach salad. With a little salty cheese. Maybe apples? So fall!!!